Notes

An account of Patrick Mahan's death while in Indian captivity was included in an interview with his daughter, Elizabeth [Mahan] Wilson on 26 February 1841:

Mrs. Wilson: In her 87th year, 26th February 1841. (1754 born.) Mrs. Wilson came in, in the year 1780.

We came from within about 18 miles of Bottetourt Court House. In Bourbon County, went first to Riddle's [or Ruddle's] Station, afterwards to Martin's Station, where we [at Ruddle's and Martin's stations] were taken [June 22, 1870] by Captain Bird [Colonel Henry Byrd]. The Indians took Riddle's Station [June 22, 1780]. Had the fever just before we were taken, and were just getting out of it.

Patrick Mahon, her father, started in October 1779, and did not get out till after New Year. Bad weather. Had 20 packed creatures, besides what he rode. Were very much afraid we would be attacked, but were not. It was very scary times.

Riddle's Station [Ruddle's, afterwards called Hinkston's]: Next spring we were taken. Were in Riddle's Station when it was attacked in March [June] 1780. I was lying very sick with the fever at the time, and had a sister so deaf she could not hear a gun. Our family were all very low. The men went out to see what Indian sign they could see. There was one end that was open. The men that were left went to fixing up the breach. Mrs. Riddle joined them with her gun. They didn't happen to come to that open end, or they might have made bad work of it.

Patrick Mahon: Mrs. Wilson's father's name was Patrick Mahon. He had lived a good while in Bottetourt. He came out of Pennsylvania into Virginia, Lancaster County. Don't know the preacher Mahon (William Mahan) to be a kin. Of my connection lived about Lexington, some preachers that I know of. My father was taken at the same time we were-and carried to Detroit. (Taken prisoner.) He died there, 2 weeks after he got there. All had sickness-the fever. He travelled 2 days, with his 2 sons holding him under the arms, & helping him along. He begged us to leave him at several of the Indian towns, but we feared if we left him there the Indians would kill him. We were satisfied when we got him there.

Three brothers, John, Thomas, and William [Mahon] taken at the same time, and a brother-in-law, James Morrow, and his wife my sister, and 3 single sisters, Isabella, Margaret, and Jane [Mahon, later Mrs. Jane B. Brackenridge]. I was then single, afterwards married Mr. Wilson. We were very lucky, all to be kept together.

Byrd's Treatment: As we were traveling in, Captain Byrd [Henry Bird] was very ungenerous to us. He measured out to the men only a cup of flour, and the women and children only a half cup. Nor would they allow back rations. They travelled by water, or when by land, had to walk. They were longer on the road, and missed a day's rations. Mahon, the brother, said "Captain Byrd, I suppose we may expect back rations today." Byrd replied-no such indulgence would be given prisoners.

Bad weather kept Patrick Mahan, his wife & children from arriving in Kentucky Co., VA, until Jan. 1780 in the area that became Fayette Co. later that year. After passing by Bryant's Station, near Lexington, they first settled at Ruddle's Station and soon after at Martin's Station, a few miles distant. (See notes for son, Thomas Mahan, who bought 400 acres on the middle fork of Coopers Run that he had settled in March 1779.) Ruddle's Station was situated on the E. bank of the South Fork of Licking River, 3 miles below the junction of Hinkston's and Stoner's branches, about 7 miles from Paris, in Bourbon Co. In June 1780, Col. Henry Byrd and his British, Tory, Canadian & Indian force numbering some 600-900 men, attacked the stockades at Ruddle's & Martin's Stations. The settlers surrendered because of canon fire and the survivors, including the Mahon/Mahan family, some of whom were sick with "the fever", were forced to travel some 600 miles, mainly by foot and partly by boat, to the British stronghold at Detroit, then the St. Lawrence outpost of Montreal, Canada. Patrick was very sick during the march northward and two of his sons carried him. The family and the other captives arrived at Detroit by 4 Aug 1780, where Patrick died about 3 weeks later.

Patrick's wife, children, and son-in-law James Morrow, were held together under a sort of house arrest at Detroit for about 6 weeks and then were taken to Montreal by 30 Oct 1780 where they were held nearly 2 years when they were released by 22 Aug 1782, after the end of the American Revolution. Patrick's children are named as: sons John, Thomas, & William, single daughters Elizabeth, Isabella & Jane, and Mrs. James Morrow (whose Christian name is not given by Mrs. Wilson or by Shane but is given by Decker as Margaret Mahan). After their release in Montreal, they returned via Lake Champlain to Albany (NY), Philadelphia (PA), and New Windsor (NY), according to daughter Mrs. James (Jane Mahan) Brackenridge. It was at New Windsor that the family dined with (Gen. George) Washington and was given money for the rest of their return trip to Fayette Co., VA, where they re-settled again in the area that came into Bourbon Co. in 1785.

In March 1844, Patrick's only surviving children, Jane and Elizabeth, tried unsucessfully to apply for a Revolutionary War Pension as compensation for their captivity by the Bristish. Their pension claim was presumably denied because they were neither male veterans nor widows of veterans of the war. Mrs. Jane Breckenridge's claim said that the family was not released from captivity until the spring or summer of 1783 and their captivity came to nearly three years. Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson agreed in her own claim that they were held nearly three years. However, see notes for Patrick's wife and children regarding Birtish records which have their release in July/August, 1782. Jane noted that her father's cash wealth amounted to "thousands of dollars" when they were captured in 1780, and then lost his property, including a few slaves, and money. She said her father had left his civilized home in Virginia during the height of the war to "aid in protecting and defending the Western frontier against the ravages of the merciless savage."